Postgame Raiders wrap

Here’s a few postgame observations from Oakland’s 27-21 loss to the 49ers on Saturday night.

Player of the game: LaMont Jordan. Playing in his first game since November, Jordan came off the bench and put together an explosive eight carries for 67 yards with a 3-yard power run of a touchdown and a 19-yard screen catch.

Nice rebound after fumbling his first handoff, and you know everyone was thinking, “Same old Jordan.” Give him credit for not sulking his shoulders and calling it a game.

Quarterback of the game: Daunte Culpepper. He was 6 for 8 for 75 yards with a touchdown, using sheer ability in lieu of a deep grasp of the playbook.

No play was more telling than his 13-yard scramble in the third quarter, when he was forced out of the pocket and had to pivot on his twice-operated-on right knee to ditch a defender.

Raiders coach Lane Kiffin heaped serious praise on Culpepper, calling him “a dynamic competitor.” Kiffin wouldn’t commit to a starter for Friday’s game against St. Louis, but expect Culpepper to get his turn with the first team like Andrew Walter and Josh McCown have the first two games.

Statement of the game: Fullback Zack Crockett, the longtime Raiders starter was bumped to second-team duty by Justin Griffith.

How does Crockett respond? He comes off the bench and makes a 12-yard touchdown catch for a 14-13 lead in the second quarter. Way to fight for a roster spot.

Goof of the game: Good luck picking one. The penalties and botched snaps were a nasty flashback to last season. So were the dropped passes, none more so than Alvis Whitted’s miss in the end zone with 5 seconds left in the game.

It doesn’t seem like a big deal because this is the preseason, but those are the sort of mistakes that make the difference between 4-12 and, say, 7-9.

In closing: The offensive line is vastly improved. Think about it: when’s the last time you noticed Robert Gallery? The fact you haven’t means he hasn’t given up a single sack or committed a penalty.

Whatm you thought Jordan got all those yards running through people? He had huge holes, and the quarterbacks had plenty of time to get the ball downfield.

Granted, the 49ers defense isn’t exactly bulletproof, but it’s a good start. And for the record, the Raiders offense as a whole looks better while falling to 1-1 in the exhibition season than they ever did starting 4-0 last August.